Bungie, the legendary studio behind Halo and Destiny, is bracing for a turbulent new chapter. After nearly twelve years of supporting the Destiny franchise, the developer announced that Destiny 2 will receive its final live-service content update on June 9, 2026, effectively ending one of gaming’s longest-running shared-world shooters. But the bad news doesn’t stop there — a report from Bloomberg indicates that “significant” layoffs are expected to follow shortly after the update ships, leaving the studio’s future deeply uncertain.
The final update, dubbed Monument of Triumph, will serve as a send-off celebrating the entirety of Destiny 2’s lifespan. According to Rock Paper Shotgun, it will include content originally planned for the scrapped Shadow and Order expansion, featuring new story beats, bosses, class abilities, overhauled raid gear, fresh Crucible modes, and a new rewards pass. The game itself will remain online and playable after the update, much like the original Destiny, but no new content will be developed beyond this point.
Perhaps more concerning for fans is the revelation that Destiny 3 is not in active development. As Eurogamer reports, Bungie leadership explored ways to make Destiny 2 more accessible to newcomers but ultimately decided to pivot resources toward Marathon, the studio’s extraction shooter that launched earlier this year. While staff are reportedly pitching new projects — some set in the Destiny universe — none have received the green light for full production. Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier noted that cost concerns were a primary reason Bungie never moved forward with a proper sequel after The Final Shape.
The studio’s struggles are closely tied to its 2022 acquisition by Sony for $3.6 billion, a deal that has yet to deliver the returns PlayStation expected. GameSpot notes that Sony has already written off $769 million of Bungie’s value, driven largely by Marathon’s disappointing sales performance and Destiny 2 falling short of financial targets. The acquisition was part of Sony’s broader push into live-service gaming, but the results have been grim — Bungie previously consulted on Naughty Dog’s canceled The Last of Us Online project, and the studio has already endured multiple rounds of layoffs and project cancellations since coming under the PlayStation umbrella.
For now, Marathon is Bungie’s primary focus. The studio has been shifting Destiny 2 developers over to the extraction shooter and is working to boost its player base through new PvE content and improved onboarding for new players. However, with Sony demonstrating a willingness to shut down underperforming studios — most recently closing Bluepoint Games without it ever releasing a title as a first-party developer — there are real fears about whether Bungie can survive another misstep.
The announcement marks a bittersweet moment for a community that spent the better part of a decade building memories across the Cosmodrome, the Pale Heart, and beyond. Bungie’s farewell statement thanked players for the journey and promised to “see you in the stars,” but for many Guardians and industry observers alike, the road ahead looks anything but certain.